AGP conducting audit of mega projects

ISLAMABAD: Department of the Auditor General of Pakistan is currently carrying audit of circular debt of power sector along with other mega projects including Orange Line Metro Train Project while audit of Billion Tree Tsunami Project is also in progress and will be completed soon.

The audit assignments related to Central Power Purchase Authority, special audit on losses of PIA, forensic audit of four projects of EOBI, audit of oil pricing mechanism of PSO, audit of E-ticketing of Pakistan Railways, IT audit of Punjab Revenue Authority, special audit of BISP, performance audit of Hajj Directorate, performance audit of PM global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are also in progress and will be completed soon in due course of time, said a spokesman of the Auditor General of Pakistan.

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The spokesman further said that the Orange Line Metro Train Project of Government of Punjab, being a mega project having approved PC-I cost of Rs 162.628 billion ($1.626 Billion), has been given due preference and importance in the audit plans of the Department of the Auditor General of Pakistan. The audit of the Civil Works of Orange Line Metro Train Project, valued at $531.681 million as per PC-I, has been completed and presently the audit report is under approval process and will be issued soon to governor of the Punjab for causing it to lay before the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab.

Since the Orange Line Metro Train Project has gone through time overrun of more than a year so far, the physical progress on electrical and mechanical portion of the project has not been as per schedule. According to the information available with Department of Auditor General of Pakistan, still about 20-30 percent work on electrical and mechanical portion of the project is incomplete and financial progress of the electrical and mechanical portion is about 45-55 percent. However, Auditor General of Pakistan has included audit of the electrical and mechanical portion, valued at $922.5 million as per PC-I, of the Orange Line Metro Train Project in the current audit plan as well.

Regarding Nandipur project, the spokesman said that the special audit report on accounts of 425-525 MW Combined Power Cycle Power Plant Project Nandipur has also been completed and the report will be soon sent for causing it to lay before the Parliament.

Department of the Auditor General of Pakistan attaches highest importance to audit of mega projects because of the risk based audit approach it follows and considers its highest duty to provide objective, unbiased and nonpartisan reports based on facts to the parliament for parliamentary oversight by the representatives of the people of Pakistan.

The Department has already completed following important audit assignments: audit of public sector companies, Punjab, audit of Metro-bus project, Multan, Rawalpindi, Lahore, audit of Orange Line Metro Train Project (Civil Works), audit of Pakistan Cricket Board, Audit of Pakistan Super League. In addition, the following audit assignments are in progress and will be completed soon in due course of time: audit of circular debt of power sector, audit of Central Power Purchase Authority, audit of Orange Line (Electrical Component), special audit on losses of PIA, forensic audit of four projects of EOBI, audit of Billion Tree Tsunami Project, audit of oil pricing mechanism of PSO, audit of E-ticketing of Pakistan Railways, IT audit of Punjab Revenue Authority, special audit of BISP, performance audit of Hajj Directorate, performance audit of PM global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the spokesman maintained.

(This news/article originally appeared in The Nation on September 4th, 2018)